A Whole Lot of Lovely

September 16, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 6 Comments

Today is quite the contrast to yesterdays color scheme. But I certainly am all over the place in regular life, so why should my crafting be any different. Makes sense enough to me.

I have wanted to try this technique for ages but have never sat down to actually do it. I saw a card that did this as a lattice background for a lovely floral collection and saved the image for later. That was two phones ago, and I have long since lost that image, but not in my mine.

I used my simply scored set and diagonal plate to make these lines. If you look closely you will see all of my errors, but it was my first time trying. I tried to keep my score lines 1/2″ apart, but didn’t get them exact every time. The look turned out though, and you get the idea.

Some simple stampin, layering everything up on dimensionals, a couple of strings of basic rhinestones, and a healthy dose of sponging helped to finish it off. I of course had to stamp and sponge the inside to make it almost as lovely as the front, they need to coordinate.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Planning Ahead for Christmas

September 13, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

These cards feel like such a cozy Christmas, don’t you think? We are making plans for a sunny holiday this year, but peeking out a window to a snowy scene is more than inviting.

This window framelit set is sure to be one of my favorites. Peeking through the window, could this snowman be any cuter? I don’t think so.

I love inside stamping. It makes the card feel so much more complete. Sometimes we need a place to write a nice long note, but other times it is just wishing someone a happy day, or a happy holiday.

Most people enjoy displaying their holiday cards as part of their seasonal decorations. These two swaps would definitely be a welcome addition to anyone’s Christmas decorations.

Have a creative day!

Moana

More Thankful Swaps

September 10, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Isn’t this a lovely pairing? The colors of fall are so beautiful to me, truly my favorites. It should be turning fall here, but is still hot like summer. A girl can dream, and enjoy pretty cards about fall, right?

These are other swaps that were completed samples for me, but I can’t wait to make them myself. I have a lot of the tools, but didn’t get that cute little bear. It comes from the Thankful Forest Friends set and I saw it as a bit too whimsy for me. I think he, and his friends, are adorable and have put it on my wish list.

This window frame framelit set is a must have. Paired with the brick wall embossing folder, there are endless options to enjoy. I can honestly see myself making way too many projects with those in hand. How fun!

The Into the Woods designer paper is so wonderful. As I said, fall colors are my favorite, and these showcase them beautifully. Hard to resist for sure.

I think my little stamping group would love the swap idea. We haven’t yet, but I am going to have us try this out for sure. Everyone has a different style and a unique set of artistic skills. It is so fun to experience so many all at once.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Dude, Happy Birthday

September 2, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

While chatting with my daughter I asked her for a little inspiration for a project. She came up with these two stamp sets. She remembers the Paper Pumpkin stamps much better than I do. Good to get a reminder or two.

I have to admit, I am really into the Bombs Away Birthday set. This particular one is my favorite, but they are all pretty awesome.

I was originally going to spritz the designer paper, but I forgot to get a re-inker in tip top taupe. Ooops! So I opted to sponge it instead. The geometric pattern looks pretty darn cool. A little bit of layering, lifting everything up on dimensionals, touches of silver mini brads and a finish with silver metallic thread and this card is ready to go.

I need to remember to get those paper pumpkin stamp sets out more often. The kits are so fun to work with when they first come, but I often put the stamps away and then move on. I think I will have to work on getting them in cases to keep them more visible.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Let It Snow

September 1, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

I know it is only the beginning of September, but I do love seasonal cards, especially winter scenes and Christmas. Not to mention that the Stampin’Up! holiday catalog goes live today. So much fun!

I have used several new products in today’s project. New stamp set, new framelit set, new embossing folder and then comes a new card. How cute is this little snowman?

I stamped the image where I wanted it along with the sentiment. Then I embossed the card front. At first I wanted to have all the snowflakes sky blue and thought to use the brayer. But I decided to be more selective and yes, I did water color select flakes. It didn’t take that long, really. The effect is nice.

I had an extra ‘snow’ die cut from Saturday’s event project and knew just where to use it. Actually, that is what started the card out. I added in a little silver metallic threat and layered it all up on dimensionals. Just my speed.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Larger Than Life Birthday Wishes

August 31, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Any wonder what today’s card is all about? Couldn’t get any more direct that this and I love it!

A certain young man is having a birthday this month and his grandmother requested a special card. I love personalized items, especially when you aren’t likely to see that name all of the time. Call it childhood memories.

My youngest daughter might disagree as to who this should be for. She might want to send it to a particular One Direction band member who also might be named Liam, but that isn’t going to happen. She can make her own.

The Larger Than Life Alphabet and Number set is so wonderful for things like this. I took the ‘happy birthday’ sentiment from That Thing You Did. Some Cucumber Crush for a fun bright green and it was nearly done. A touch of ribbon to bring it all together and I was happy. I think Liam will be too.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Bombs Away Birthday!

August 22, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Well, I must admit, I think Call of Duty visited my craft table this morning. My plan began differently, honestly. But then things got a little interesting.

I started out with the fun birthday bomb stamp and made background paper. I knew I wanted to add my husbands name, but wasn’t sure on the color. Since the black is so strong, I knew I needed to heat emboss the lettering.

Of course all of my colors are not quite masculine, and I wanted bright color. I guess I could have done silver, but too late for that. I had a couple of tiny spots that didn’t get powder to stick, so I thought I would just sponge a little ink here and there to fill them in.

I went out of the lettering a bit on the second B, so I gave in and sponged away. Then I giggled as I imagined how much cherry cobbler looked like dried blood, especially next to a bunch of bombs. Maybe this is a bit tacky or even offensive, but my husband will get a kick out of it, and it is totally for him. Happy Birthday my love!

Have a creative day!

Moana

All About Sugar and No Bones About It

August 21, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

When you get asked for a birthday card for a little boy, don’t you just think of dinosaurs? This fun card could be for folks of all ages. You know, the cards that tease you about being older than a dinosaur, or a fossil in this case.

I gave warning that I would be into this set like crazy, and I love every chance I get to use it. I have a few more children’s birthday cards to make and I think they will all have a dinosaur on them. Tee hee.

The card itself is very simple. Narrow borders layered together with some very simple stamping. I only used three stamps for this card. I think it looks like this dinosaur is smiling. I digress…

Simple stamping, basic color pallet, sponging on the edges and a touch of ribbon. Keeping open spaces on a project isn’t my strength, but when I manage it, I realize that I really do like it. I just forget.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello You

August 19, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

How do you decide what to work with? Today, I went with my skirt as inspiration. While I am not wearing black and white zebra stripes with butterflies, the colors are right on. I could hold it on display and coordinate so nicely. I love how it turned out.

I have to admit, this is the first time I have used my file tab edgelits and I have had them for a long time. I wanted to use them, just in a different way. The paper helps out a lot here, and I like them vertical instead of horizontal the way a file folder would normally look. Mission accomplished.

In order to coordinate the inside with the outside, I took the small butterfly stamp from Kinda Eclectic and stamped away. It makes me so happy to have the inside match the front. The card actually is quite simple, with patterned paper like this you do have to have some limits, just some.

Have a creative day!

Moana

No Bones About It

August 16, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

No, I don’t have little children, and yes, I did have to have this set. I actually pegged it for a favorite when the new catalog first came out. It really isn’t the speed of my card group I teach, but I wanted it for myself. How cute is it?

There are four different dinosaurs in the set, all with matching skeletons, some fossil plant looking stamps, some splats and these awesome footprints. As well as a few super cool sentiments to go along.

This card was done in mossy meadow and whisper white with no frills. I embossed the base with the chevron folder and made my layered tag from the tags & labels framelits set. Plenty of dimensionals for everyone and there you go. I did accent it a bit with some linen thread using the 1/16″ hand held punch for the knot to show through.

I am going to really enjoy this set a lot, and I mean a lot.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Bombs Away Birthday

August 13, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Did you ever buy something just loving it and being so excited to use it? That would be the inspiration for this card today. When Stampin’Up! first started coming out with their own photopolymer stamp sets I was so excited.

I would buy them and have an absolute blast. But, as you get more, some get neglected. This particular set was so funny to me that it was a must. I pulled it out and remembered why I hadn’t used it yet. I loved the sentiments but was stumped on what to pair them with.

Enter the super awesome brick wall embossing folder. I used my brayer to roll some cajun craze on one side of the folder, embossed a piece of the heavy weight whisper white cardstock and knew I had found the perfect pairing. The way the ink beads up a bit on the folder actually gave the bricks a porous look. Unexpected and very welcome indeed.

Simple layering, sponging to make me happy, and a touch of gold metallic thread and this project is ready to be mailed! Would you believe I have three different guys in my life that this would be perfect for? Yes, they are all very much alike.

Have a creative day!

Moana

For the New Two

August 12, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Does this conjure images of a wedding couple or what? I do have another idea though. Honestly, I went with brighter colors for that other idea.

We often associate two as a couple, as in a relationship couple. Friends of mine are currently working as nannies for a set of twins. So, how about congratulating a couple on the birth of their twins? Get it? For the new two?

Well, I thought it was very clever indeed. There are plenty of gift ideas for baby boys and girls, but how about those twins? It will take longer for triplets and such, but I am sure there is a way.

This is made from a whole sheet of english garden dsp and isn’t it glorious? I paired it with the thick backers twine and went cherry cobbler all the way. A handful of punched and sponged hearts were the perfect embellishment. A small doily helped to close it off. The stamp is of course from the wedding set, For the New Two. I layered the tags using the scalloped tag topper punch, happens to be on sale this week oddly enough, and the hearts border punch as well. Quite the gift bag if I do say so myself, and I do.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Sending Good Thoughts

August 11, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Yesterday quite simply just ran away from me. Sometimes there are too many things to get done, too many people to help, and one too many places to go. So, this was for yesterday.

How about a nice masculine all occasion card? Nice combination if you ask me. When you have a great background stamp like Hardwood, the card almost finishes itself. The front was stamped in early espresso and sponged lightly until I liked the look. I tried something a little different for my inside stamping. I just used this huge stamp at an angle and stamped opposite corners. It worked out pretty good.

I had to stamp my sentiment a few times though, I wasn’t being very patient and then it didn’t look straight. It doesn’t have to be perfect to make me happy, but maybe not look all wonky either. A quick trip to the banner triple punch and my front layering was done. How easy is that?

I did layer the banner element up on dimensionals and accessorized lightly with two silver mini-brads. That is all it needed.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Happy Age Awareness Day

August 9, 2015August 9, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This birthday stamp set never gets old for me. I think some of the phrases are just too funny. I must have migrated here today because I am a little tired and have a bit of the giggles. Maybe that is why my photos are all wonky. Oh well…

I went with just lost lagoon for my color scheme. Sometimes using one color is all that is needed. It helps to enjoy other parts of the project, like embossing or even just the sentiment.

I put the banner triple punch to work today and really am pleased how they layer so nicely together. Super simple to make without all of the frustration of trying to make a banner just right. Thank you for that awesome punch!

Finishing it off with some of the new metallic silver thread also made me very happy. It is like using ribbon without any of the distractions you sometimes want to avoid. How fun is that!

Have a creative day!

Moana

A Little Thanks

August 7, 2015August 7, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

What to do with a spool of silver metallic thread? Make butterfly antennae of course. This tiny, oh so tiny, tiny little bag is also closed with the same thread.

This bag is sized just right to hold a gift card and you could squeeze in a flat chocolate or two. How perfect a thank you is that? I do love giving gift cards to people and having them tucked inside something as adorable as this makes it even better.

I started out with a piece of cardstock measuring 4 1/4 x 5 1/2, yup, that tiny. I stamped half way down with my little butterflies, flipped it around and went down the other way. I did that so if you turn the bag around, my butterflies aren’t upside down. Clever, right? Thought so too.

My score lines were all about the 1/2″ mark. Just a tiny little bag here, so cute. Can you tell I love tiny things? Well, I do! And this bag is all done and ready to get that special gift card for some lucky friend.

Have a creative day!

Moana

It’s Your Day

August 6, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I think I am ready for summer to cool off. Looks like I am thinking of a spring day here. My daughter told me this looks like a dress. Would be a cute one.

I thought it would be fun to use a stamp in a different way than intended. This leave bouquet is in a thanksgiving themed set. Also, I hadn’t used pink pirouette for quite some time and decided to put the two together. At first I wanted to use the flower punches as if they were a flower at the end of each stem. Well, looking at them they created stripes of flowers. Not so good. They looked much better placed randomly.

I used glue dots to secure them. I didn’t feel like it, but I did sponge them all. It made a difference, really. Plenty of basic rhinestones to go around and I loved the sparkle it gave.

The sentiment came from the endless birthday wishes set. I really had ignored this one, but it is so great! I love, love, love how you can partner the typeset phrases with pretty cursive ones. A tiny tag with a bow in the middle and it was all done. Of course I had to echo stamp the inside to match the front though, then it was really done.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Game On!

August 5, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Know someone who is taking on a new challenge? Me too, and this card is just right for her. I guess it could go for a lot of different occasions, even a child’s birthday card, use your imagination. I sure did.

The card base is bermuda bay and I kept it just to that one color. The card front has a narrow boarder with the stamped front layered on another piece of bermuda bay cardstock and lifted up on dimensionals. The simple sentiment comes from the Dear Heart set, along with this adorable little boy.

He is prepped for adventure with a mask from the Calling All Heroes set stamped in coordinating ink. I punched him out with the 1 3/4″ circle punch and layered that again with a 2″ circle punch of more bermuda bay. A simple accent of striped grosgrain ribbon finished it off nicely.

I sponged color around the edges of the card front, the inside panel and the circle punches. Just softening it a little bit. Now I can’t wait to give it to my friend.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Go Wild All Occasion Card

August 4, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Such a simple card for today, but it really makes me smile. I did really try for a sentiment, some kind of cute stamped phrase, but couldn’t do it. I just really liked it how it was.

I guess that will leave this truly an all occasion card waiting for who knows what. I think it leans more to the feminine side, but maybe a bit of room for masculine? Your choice.

The card base is made with tip top taupe layered with basic black and a front of this awesome go wild designer series paper. I brought out the banner triple punch to give me these perfect banners. I love not having to snip or make a square punch try to work. I even repeated the pattern inside the card. Not my usual, but I do like stamping on the inside.

A touch of satin stitched ribbon around the banner trio and this card was done. Super simple with a great look. I think this might be my make and take for a demonstrator event I am attending this month. Hmmmm…

Have a creative day!

Moana

Tiny Thank You

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Spending the morning with my husband took first place today. So, blogging had to happen later on in the morning. Works great for me, during the summer that is.

I didn’t know where to start this morning, so I turned to my scrap pile. You know, those extra bits of paper that are too big to toss and haven’t filed back into the paper files. Well, there was this piece of bermuda bay measuring 5×6 that was calling to me. I did the math and ended up using my scoreboard to make this cute little carton. Simple division is a beautiful thing, did I just say that? Yup!

This carton is big enough to fill with plenty of treats or even a nail polish or two. Sometimes it is fun to say thank you in a different way. I do have a weakness for cute little boxes and bags.

How about the washi tape though! I did all of my scores first and then got the tape out. I put it down on an angle leaving about 3/4″ between pieces. I didn’t measure, just eyeballed it. From a distance it looks like striped paper with blue stripes over the top. Fun look.

Banner punches went to work on the adorable sentiment tag. Using bakers twine was the only thing tiny enough to work well. All in all, I do love this little guy. Now, who to share it with…

Have a creative day!

Moana

I’m So Grateful For You

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

After yet another awesome summer concert I am super exhausted! So I asked my daughter this morning what color she thought this flower would be. She talked about purple, orange or yellow. I thought about tropical, but went with elegant eggplant.

It is hard to tell, but there is silver ink painted over the purple. Of course I had to get out my trusty aqua painter for all three ink colors I used. Totally love that thing!

There was a heavy amount of sponging as well. I loved the sentiment, but it was the second half of the front sentiment and it was basically a dangling participle. So, I just didn’t ink up the ‘and’ and the beginning. Perfect!

I may have been half asleep for this project, but it turned out really wonderful. It is great when I get to sit back and be impressed with myself. A job well done.

Have a creative day!

Moana

studio824

Creativity for all seasons and reasons.

whisper white

A Whole Lot of Lovely

Planning Ahead for Christmas

More Thankful Swaps

Dude, Happy Birthday

Let It Snow

Larger Than Life Birthday Wishes

Bombs Away Birthday!

All About Sugar and No Bones About It

Hello You

No Bones About It

Bombs Away Birthday

For the New Two

Sending Good Thoughts

Happy Age Awareness Day

A Little Thanks

It’s Your Day

Game On!

Go Wild All Occasion Card

Tiny Thank You

I’m So Grateful For You